My Mother loved this ham loaf. She became known for this ham loaf, and it was always a crowd favorite at family get-togethers. One of the secrets to her delicious ham loaf was using organic ham, which made all the difference in the flavor. She served it so often that some in the family grew tired of it, but now that she’s no longer with us, I make it in celebration of her spirit. She was an amazing cook, and eating at her table was an event not to be missed. There were always at least six different dishes, each cooked with love and care. She would start early in the morning, cooking and prepping at her small corner countertop, and I was always amazed at her ability and precision. She was an accomplished artist, and she brought that creativity to everything she touched. She also had a sweet tooth, and the glaze that covered this ham loaf made you fight over the end pieces. She always enforced the cook’s prerogative to get first dibs on the end piece. And since she usually made two three-pound ham loaves, there was plenty of glazy goodness for the diehard sweets lovers.
A ham loaf makes an inexpensive alternative to the traditional Easter ham, and using organic ham makes it even better. The hardest part in preparing this dish is finding ground ham. Back in the day, you could ask your butcher to grind a center-cut ham steak with a pound of ground beef. Lately, the supermarkets I’ve visited won’t do it for you because they fear cross-contamination in the meat grinder. I have a meat grinding attachment on my stand mixer, so I buy a center-cut ham steak, grind it, and mix it with the ground beef.
While this was in the oven last night, David said, “It sure smells like ham loaf in here.” I smiled and thought, “It sure smells like Mom’s kitchen in here.” Happy Easter! We will be with our kids and granddaughter Rachel for the next few days.
